St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-04
WILL NOT INVESTIGATE.
Engineer Rinker Comes Out Vic

sE<UGluGct 1SlIlACF SOuIcS Out VIC.
torious---Some Plain Talk.
y AID. johnson asked if the. committee
ON sewers was prepared to report con-
corning the communication from the
Trades and Labor assembly, charging
City Engineer ,Rinker with employing
incompetent men. Aid. McArdle, chair
man of the committee, explained that
the sewers had been examined, but no
hearing had been given the representa-
tives of the Trades and Labor assembly.
AID. johnson related that it was not
necessary to give them hearing. The
committee should simply say whether
I the engineer should or should not be in
. vestigated. Removed that the commit
tee report at once. Aid. McArdle and
Kerr, of the committee, asked for fur
ther, time. Aid. Mills supported
Aid. Johnson's motions warmly. He
did not believe in allowing irresponsible
persons to attack the character of pub
lie officials. He5regarded it as a species
of blacllmail. These labor organiza-
lions make public charges against
aldermen, and then refuse to allow the
aldermen to appear on the platforms at
/ their public meetings and defend them
selves. Aid. JohnsOn'S motion carried,
and a majority report, signed by Aid.
Johnson, Cloutier and V0gh, was sub
mitted, which read that there was no
truth in the charges, the committee hav-
ing found the material up to specifica-
tionS, the workmanship satisfactory and
the men employed competent and intel
1igent, and that no investigation should
be held. a minority report, signed by
Aid. McArdle and Kerr,waS submitted,
which recommended that the charges
CT no IN N al
mittee of ten.
Aid. johnson moved the adoption of
the majority report, saying that the
charges were preferred by two or three
sore-heads and disappointed Office seek
ers. Aid. Dwyer could not see why
there should be any objection to an in
vestigation. 1t would not injure the
city engineer if he was not guilty.
Engineer Rinker here took the floor
and made personal explanation. The
charges, he said, were investigated by
two men, one of whom had three times
sought appointments, which had been
refused him. This man, Thomas R.
Lawler, wanted the place of Mr.. Van
Duzee as assistant engineer. Mr.. Van
DuZee had been in the engineers
Office since 1869, and it was strange that
no one else but Lawler had found him
to be incompetent. AS for him he had
been attached to the engineers office
for fifteen years. had been connected
with all public improvements, had
handled several millions of dollars, and
he defed any one to show that he had
ever received a cent dishonesty, or
from any other source than his salary.
His conscience was clear and his hands
clean. He did not object to an investi-
CATION, but he did not want the council
to pay attention to charges unless made
by responsible parties, and not at the
investigation of a man of no moral repu-
tation and who is devoid of honor. Aid.
Kerr said he had found seven members
of the Trades and Labor assembly at
meeting of the committee. He regarded
Aid. Johnson's motion as simply white
washing the city engineer. After some
further discussion Aid. Dwyer moved to
substitute the minority report for the
majority, and this was lost by vote of
81 to 3, Aid. Gibson and Morse being
absent, Aid. McArdle. Kerr and Dwyer
voting in the affirmative. The motion
to adopt the majority report was carried
by the same vote.